Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Tuesday informed Governor Samuel Ortom, elders and members of the State Working Committee, SWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue state of his intention to contest the presidency in 2023.
Saraki was the 13th President of the Senate of Nigeria from 2015 to 2019 and Chair of the 8th Nigeria National Assembly. He was previously the Governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011; and was elected to the Senate in 2011, under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing the Kwara Central Senatorial District, and then re-elected in the 2015 general elections under the party of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He left the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC) and returned to his former party People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – This is not the first time he is throwing his Presidential ambition in the ring, Saraki declared his presidential campaign for the PDP presidential ticket in the 2019 election but lost the primaries to Atiku Abubakar.
At Tuesday’s meeting in Benue, The former Kwara state Governor was accompanied to Makurdi by the former Governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada, former National Chairman of the PDP, Kawu Baraje, Senator Suleiman Adokwe and the Chairman of Council, Saraki for President Campaign, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Saraki commended the people of the state, especially PDP stakeholders for standing and supporting Governor Ortom to succeed despite his persecution by the All Progressives Congress, APC, led government.
He also commended the Benue state Governor for providing purposeful leadership for the PDP in the North Central zone saying his commitment to the growth and development of the party contributed in no small measure to ensuring a hitch-free National Convention of the party last month.
Dr. Saraki noted that the nationwide decamping of top APC members into the PDP was an indication that the party was disintegrating nothing that the ruling party might eventually lose all of its members before the 2023 general elections.
He said: “a political party that cannot organize its affairs has no business leading this country. A party that has organized its affairs is ready to lead the country and that is the PDP.”
Dr. Saraki said he was in the state for a private meeting with the Governor who as a good party man insisted that he should speak with the party leaders saying that the North Central Zone had paid its due by working so hard to keep the country together as one united entity insisting that “this time we must stand for our own and charity they say begins at home.”
